Good things gro-o-o-o-w, in Ontario-o-o-o...

[Tyler Durden]

"15 grams or
less of marijuana, the poll found"

15 Grams? Now I haven't smoked since about 84, but as I understand it 15 
grams these days could get a whole housing project high. Can anyone confirm 
this? (OK, an exageration, but 15 grams is enough stock for a petty dealer 
to keep on hand, no?)

Hey Canadians, don't bogart the bowl, eh?

-TD



>From: Tim Meehan <cypherpunks at salvagingelectrons.com>
>To: cypherpunks at lne.com
>Subject: Good things gro-o-o-o-w, in Ontario-o-o-o...
>Date: Sun, 18 May 2003 11:00:59 -0400
>
>http://www.globeandmail.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20030517/UMARIM/TPNational/TopStories
>
>No laws ban possession of marijuana, court rules
>Landmark Ontario decision goes beyond the decriminalization proposed by 
>Ottawa
>
>By COLIN FREEZE AND KIM LUNMAN
>
>UPDATED AT 10:53 AM EDT
>Saturday, May. 17, 2003
>
>TORONTO and OTTAWA -- Canada has no laws prohibiting marijuana possession, 
>an
>Ontario Superior Court judge said yesterday in a ruling that will be 
>binding on
>judges in the province and may soon be picked up across the country.
>
>"For today, and for the Victoria Day weekend, it's a very pleasant state of
>affairs for recreational pot smokers," said criminal lawyer Paul Burstein, 
>who
>helped argue the case successfully.
>
>It was the second time that a Windsor teenager who was caught smoking pot 
>while
>playing hooky in a park has been found not to have broken any law because, 
>the
>courts ruled, there are effectively no longer any marijuana laws to break.
>
>Mr. Justice Steven Rogin upheld yesterday a lower-court decision, based on
>complex arguments, that has already had far-reaching influence.
>
>The new ruling means that proposed federal legislation to decriminalize
>possession of a small amount of marijuana would actually "recriminalize" 
>it,
>defence lawyers said yesterday.
>
>While the new law would impose fines for pot possession, yesterday's ruling
>effectively eliminated any sanctions for simple pot possession in Ontario, 
>they
>said.
>
>The decision "has effectively erased the criminal prohibition on marijuana
>possession from the law books in Ontario," said Brian McAllister, the 
>lawyer for
>the accused teenager.
>
>Courts in Nova Scotia and PEI have already put prosecutions on hold pending
>yesterday's ruling, he said, and lawyers in other provinces were similarly
>watching for this decision.
>
>The initial ruling in favour of the Windsor teenager, identified only as J. 
>P.,
>had a significant spillover effect and the higher-court decision is 
>expected to
>be even more influential.
>
>The federal Department of Justice, which appealed the initial ruling, is
>planning another appeal.
>
>The government still plans to introduce its marijuana-decriminalization
>legislation later this month.
>
>Most Canadians are behind the idea, according to an Ipsos-Reid poll 
>released
>yesterday.
>
>It found that 55 per cent of Canadians did not believe smoking marijuana 
>should
>be a criminal offence, while 42 per cent thought it should be.
>
>More telling, 63 per cent of respondents supported Ottawa's plans to issue
>tickets and fines similar to traffic violations to those caught with 15 
>grams or
>less of marijuana, the poll found.
>
>Justice Minister Martin Cauchon has said he is seeking the changes so that
>people who are caught with small amounts will not clog up the court system,
>potentially receiving criminal records.
>
>For the moment, however, marijuana possession remains the most frequently 
>laid
>drug charge in Canada even though courts are becoming increasingly 
>resistant to
>hearing those cases.
>
>Jim Leising of the federal Justice Department said in an interview that he 
>was
>"disappointed" by yesterday's decision and will push to have the case heard
>quickly in the Ontario Court of Appeal.
>
>"We are are still of the opinion that the law against marijuana is valid," 
>he
>said.
>
>Mr. Leising said prosecutions will continue, although some may be put on 
>hold.
>
>But defence lawyers involved in J.P.'s case said Ontarians facing 
>possession
>charges should fight Crown prosecutors' attempts to delay their cases until 
>the
>law is clarified.
>
>Ontarians who are charged with marijuana possession after yesterday's 
>ruling
>could consider suing police for wrongful arrest, they said.
>
>"Anybody who's got a charge before the court should definitely take 
>advantage of
>this," Mr. Burstein said.
>
>Multiple court battles to strike down the marijuana laws are taking place, 
>he
>said, leaving Ottawa besieged from many directions.
>
>"The courts keep firing big shots into the sides of the government's ship," 
>Mr.
>Burstein said.
>
>"They're sinking lower and lower. They are bailing it out with a cup."
>
>The Ipsos-Reid poll -- of 1001 people, conducted between May 13 and May 15 
>--
>found people still have some reservations about decriminalization.
>
>The poll results are considered to reflect accurately the feelings of the 
>entire
>country to within 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

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